With the early decision deadline for most colleges swiftly approaching on November 1st, most ED seniors out there are probably stressing out. I vividly remember this time exactly a year ago. Here is what I would tell my former self.

Finish your ED application first

Don’t even think about working on any other supplement until you’ve finished everything you need for your early decision application. Since the deadline is the earliest and it’s likely your first choice, you want to complete it before you’ve worn yourself out with all of the work for all of the other schools.

Put more effort than normal

Although you obviously should be putting in a good effort in your application to every school, the ED application should reflect your absolute best work. You want to make sure you give yourself the best chance with the school as you’re showing them that they are your top choice and you would pick them above any other institution.

Don’t depend on acceptance

Don’t expect that you’ll get into your ED school, even if you think it’s a safety. A lot of students are often tempted to leave many of their application work for the period between when they hear from the ED school to January 1st, which doesn’t give them much time to do a good job. Save yourself stress and increase your chances of getting into regular decision schools by finishing your ED application early and starting other supplements.

About Nadira Berman

As a Summer Marketing Intern, Nadira is excited to help high schoolers prepare for the SAT and ACT. As a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania, she is considering studying economics. In her free time, she reports for the school newspaper and styles photo shoots for the school's fashion magazine. Besides fashion and journalism, her passions include bagels, smoothies and Netflix.

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